LaGuardia Community College’s Capstone

Courses

Chairs’ Meeting

Tuesday, 18 November 2008

What is a LaGuardia education? What are its

goals? What are its hallmarks? Its defining pedagogy? Its values?

Durel’s Definition• The capstone course typically is defined as a

crowning course or experience coming at the end of a sequence of courses with the specific objective of integrating a body of relatively fragmented knowledge into a unified whole. [T]his course provides an experience through which undergraduate students both look back over their undergraduate curriculum in an effort to make sense of that experience and look forward to professional life

Capstone Learning

• Fosters synthesis within the academic major• Promotes connections between general

education and the academic major• Explicitly develops important student skills

initiated earlier in the college curriculum• Improves career preparation and facilitates the

transition from academia to professional life• Enhances preparation for postgraduate

education

Methodology & Research

Faculty Research Team• Prof. J. Elizabeth Clark, English Dept.• Prof. Debra Engel, Physical Therapist Ass’t

Program, NAS Dept.• Prof. Michael Napolitano, Chair, Business &

Technology• Prof. James Richardson, New Media

Technology, Humanities Dept.• Prof. Michael Rodriguez, Humanities/Fine Arts

Program, Humanities Dept.• Prof. Carolyn Sterling-Deer, Education &

Language Acquisition Dept.

Research Methodology• Literature Review, identifying best

practices in the higher education

• Web-based research process

• Examining Case Studies, examining curricular policies, w/ interviews to assess on-the-ground realities

• Re-thinking the Capstone Experience Seminar to continue the learning

Colleges & Universities• Agnes Scott College (GA), Arizona State University, Austin Community College

(TX), Boston College, Bryant University (RI), Case Western Reserve University (OH), California State University-Channel Islands, California State University-Northridge, Colby-Sawyer College (NH), Clemson University (SC), Colorado State University-Pueblo, Columbus State Community College (OH), Commonwealth College [University of Massachusetts-Amherst Honors Program], Community College of Baltimore-Dundalk, DePaul University (IL), Edison Community College (FL), Emporia State University – School of Library and Information Management (KS), Highland Community College (IL), Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis, Ithaca College (NY), Kennesaw State University (GA), Lakeland Community College (OH), Massachusetts College of Art & Design, Miami University of Ohio, Mount St. Mary’s (NY), New York University, Northeastern University (MA), Northwestern State University (LA), Pennsylvania State University, Philadelphia University, Portland State University (OR), Prince George's Community College (MD), Rhodes State College (OH), Salve Regina University (RI), San Francisco State University (CA), Skidmore College (NY), Southern Connecticut State University, St. Charles Community College (MO), St. Louis Community College (MO), St. Mary’s College (MD), Terra Community College (OH), Truman State College (MO), University of Delaware, University of Iowa, University of the Virgin Islands, University of Nevada-Reno, and Western Nebraska Community College.

Highlights:Key Findings

Gardner & Van der Veer

• Integration

• Reflection

• Closure

• Transition

Disciplinary Based vs. Interdisciplinary

• Portland State’s Capstone

Assessment

• Community College of Baltimore

ePortfolio

• San Francisco State University

Recommendations

1. Capstone courses at LaGuardia should have clearly articulated policies and requirements that reflect best national practice.

2. Capstone courses at LaGuardia should be designed and sequenced to support summative learning that explicitly builds upon previous courses, skills, and knowledge.

3. Capstone courses at LaGuardia should be designed to effectively integrate both general education and disciplinary learning.

4. Capstone courses should be clearly identified as “Capstone” in the LaGuardia catalog.

5. Capstone courses at LaGuardia should include the creation of a Capstone ePortfolio that enhances integrative learning and supports the outcomes assessment process.

6. LaGuardia should support Capstone students and faculty with a Capstone Studio Hour for ePortfolio production, including the development of a final reflective essay.

7. Capstone courses should be taught by faculty who have taken part in a pedagogically-focused Capstone professional development program.

Next Steps

Making Capstone a “LaGuardia” Experience

• Boston College

Capstone Faculty Seminar

• Year-Long Pilot: Summer Institute + Monthly Seminars

• Fall ‘08: Exploring Literature, Planning Courses

• Spring ‘09, Classroom Implementation

• Spring ‘09, Implementation of Studio Hour

• On-Going Faculty Learning

• List of Faculty Participants

Transforming Classes to Capstones

• Carolyn Sterling-Deer & the Education Capstone at LaGuardia